In The Silence...

Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.”

Luke 1:19-20

 

Why are we so uncomfortable with silence?  We even refer to it as "an awkward silence."  We even go so far as to ask others, "Why are you so quiet?"  I read today's passage during Christmas, and it struck me that it is in the silence that God speaks to us.  Zechariah had been told by Gabriel that he and his bride, Elizabeth, were going to have a son.  Zechariah began with the arguments: "We're old, how can this be?" (Remember Abraham and Sarah?),

"Elizabeth is barren" (Remember Abraham and Sarah had the same 'issue'?).  In response, Gabriel reminds Zechariah that God is the one who will make this happen.  Then Zechariah is told that he will be silent AND unable to speak until his child is born.

 

To be honest, I spend a lot of time being quiet.  Honestly, I have no idea how it would feel to be unable to speak and unable to hear.  But I do know that, in order to really hear what God is telling us, we must be quiet!  How can we listen if we talk over others?  How can we hear if everyone's talking all the time?

 

When Jesus prayed, He would go off alone to a quiet place.  You see, it is in the quiet of our minds and our hearts that God speaks.  Yet it seems as though we have forgotten how to be quiet enough to listen.  And that is when God will sometimes put us in a situation where we MUST be quiet...as He did with Zechariah.